World's best-selling Android smartphone comes from Samsung, Apple iPhone holds the top 3 in the second quarter

According to the latest data from Counterpoint Research, the Apple iPhone 16 was once again the world's most popular smartphone in the second quarter of 2025, from April to June, after Apple's base model from the previous year had already topped the rankings in the first quarter. Second and third place also remain unchanged, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 Pro remaining immensely popular despite their high prices.

The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G was the world's best-selling Android smartphone during the same period: the combination of a relatively low price, decent performance thanks to the Samsung Exynos 1330, and six major Android updates is proving to be a winning formula. In fourth place is the Galaxy A06 4G, followed by the iPhone 16e. The only Android flagship to make it into the top 10 is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Like in the first quarter, the Xiaomi Redmi 14C 4G is the only smartphone among the top performers that does not come from Apple or Samsung.

According to Counterpoint Research, the very affordable price of the Redmi 14C 4G is finding many buyers, especially in markets such as Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. Overall, there was little movement from the first to the second quarter. The iPhone 15 was primarily replaced by the iPhone 16e, which is hardly surprising, as the newer, cheaper model was sometimes offered at a lower price despite its faster Apple A18 ARM chip. However, iPhone 16e buyers have to do without some features, most notably the ultra-wide-angle camera and MagSafe.